Yes...I am a wimp! Today, I am grateful for my AC...whew!! :-) I hope you had a wonderful, and safe, 4th of July...and that you were able to take a moment to thank a veteran... Remember, if you are a veteran (90 days of active duty) then you qualify for a VA loan, and honestly there isn't a con to the VA loan! If you are interested in ALL the pros/cons of ALL the loans that are available....come to a class. :-)

I have an inspection scheduled for tomorrow at 9am. Inspections can be scary....I mean, what happens if the inspector finds something?! Well, guess what? The inspector WILL find something! :-) I don't care if the home is 100 years old or brand new....you should get a home inspection. Not all inspectors are the same...you need to make sure you ask the right questions...and PLEASE, as the buyer, you SHOULD be at the inspection, and so should your buyer's agent. As a buyers agent, my job is to be with you through the entire process, and this is a big one.

So...what happens during the inspection?

Home inspections are very important in your home buying adventure, and even brand new homes should have a home inspection done. Remember, it's not the home builder you are checking out, but the work done by the contractors they have hired. The city/county inspectors who come out do NOT check for the same thing a home inspector does.

When hiring a home inspector some good questions to ask them are:

How long have you been licensed? Licensing for home inspectors in the State of Washington has only has only been required since September of 2009.

How long will the inspection take? The average home inspection should take between 2-3 hours.

What does your home inspection entail? What will you do? A home inspector should be walking and checking the roof. A roof must have a 3-5 year certificate for state loans, VA loans, and FHA loans. A home inspector should be walking around the exterior and checking the siding, and looking at the housing vents for broken/missing screens. The home inspector will also be looking at vegetation around the home, and look at the water meter on the curb for current activity. Inside the home, the inspector will crawl the crawlspace looking for leaks, groundwater, evidence or signs of current, or past animal activity, etc. The inspector should also be checking the atticspace for signs of current or past leakage and/or mold. The inspector will also be looking at all water faucets and toilets for leakage, drainage, and more. The inspector should also be checking all windows, electrical outlets and the main electric box for safety hazards, vents and heating units, and more.

Do you (the inspector) have a water reader? Some inspectors have a water reader that reads moisture 1 inch into a surface, be it wall or floor. These are wonderful for finding such things as leaking wax seals in toilets (very common), moisture in a wall around a window that hasn't had its' weep seals cleaned, moisture in walls or flooring around such places as washer/dryers, fridges, dishwashers, showers, toilets, and bathtubs.

What paperwork will be included at this cost? Some inspectors will charge you extra for a FHA Dry Rot and Pest Report, or for a print out of your inspection. You will need a FHA Dry Rot Pest Report for the state loans, VA loans, and FHA loans. Make sure your cost includes a copy of this. Also, ask how the inspector will get you a copy of your inspection, in what form will it come to you, and how soon can you expect it. The average cost for a home inspection is around $325-$350, but the cost can vary with the size of the home you are purchasing.

Some things to Remember:

The home inspector works for YOU. You pay for the home inspection at time of service, and this is a non-refundable fee, but it is also a legal reason to back out (if you want) and get your earnest money refunded to you.

A home inspectors job is give you a run down of the homes condition and what you can expect in the areas of maintenance, and what needs to be done for safety and/or health reasons. If you want to be a part of the home inspection, make sure you let the inspector know that you want to follow him/her around.

Anything that is a health or safety concern, or that needs to be done by a licensed contractor is something that needs to be discussed with your buyer's agent for repair.

Both YOU and YOUR AGENT should be there at the time of the home inspection. Again, the home inspector is your employee for the day, so be sure to walk with them and learn about your potential new home. Ask questions! Take notes if you want...

In case of a bank owned home, make sure that the water is turned on for the home inspection. Both your agent, and the inspector should be assisting with this. If the water is NOT turned on then it is outside the scope of the inspection.

If you know anyone who is thinking about buying a home, our next class is Saturday, July 28, 2012, at the Vancouver YMCA located at 11324 NE 51st Circle from 10am-1:30pm! With reservations, lunch is included.... :-)

Please let me know if you have any questions! And again as always, if you are looking for a buyer's agent, please give me a call or drop me an email...I would love to help you with your home buying adventure!

Please call, email, text, or even facebook me (at Tracie DeMars Real Estate Q&A) anytime with any questions, or if there is anything I can do to assist you with your home buying adventure! As a buyers agent, I am, as always, here to help!! :-D

Thank you again for your business and for your referrals!

If there is anything you would like to see on here...please let me know and I will make it a weekly note!

...as always...if you have already purchased a home, or no longer would like to receive these emails from me, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from receiving any more.

Thank you again for attending the home buyer education classes, and I hope that you will continue to refer the classes out to your friends, family, and co-workers. Upcoming class dates and times are located at www.freehomebuyerclasses.com. Just click on the link on the left hand side. Or you can go to www.learningtobuyahome.com and click the links.

We appreciate your referrals and word of mouth! Also, if you have somewhere that we can place the flyers at, please let me know....:-D

Next Week: Why is your rent going up? Don't think you can buy a home? Why? or Home Loans Pros/Cons Last Week: what happens AFTER you make the offer?

Remember that you can always go to 'Free Home Buyer Education' on Facebook for all of my weekly blogs and upcoming class dates/times/locations. I post the weekly blogs on there as well.

Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon, ;-D Tracie DeMars Buyer's AgentRe/Max - Van Mall 360/ 903-3504 cell 360/ 882-3600 fax www.traciedemars.com

*****Remember that if you are interested I can, and will be happy to, set you up on an email that will automatically email you with new home listings in your area and price range as they come up on the market. This email will include all bank owned homes and anything with price changes. Just send me what you are hoping to find, your top 3 things in a home, and what is the best email to send it to. This is with no obligation, and is a good way to 'window shop'. :-)

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Tracie DeMarsreal estate broker with Re/Max

I have been in real estate for about 15 years now, and I have seen the market up, down, and now going up again. I teach the Clark County Free Community Classes for Home Buyers & Home Sellers to help buyers learn about the loan, and home buying process; and sellers to learn about the paperwork and process of selling a home. We are volunteers, and have no affiliations so we are able to tell it like it is...with no sugarcoating. The pros, the cons, we tell it all in a fun, engaging, direct manner that encourages class attendee interaction and involvement. Classes are free and non-promotional and held at community locations. Walk -ins are welcome and all are invited. ​Whether you're buying or selling a home, Education should always be your first step! **we now offer Home SELLER classes too, by reservation. It is a sellers market out there, and the classes are designed to go over all the paperwork, the 'right' questions to ask, how to make sure your agent is really working for you, what a CMA (comparable market analysis) is, and what is considered a comparable home....and going over the settlement statement. What are the fees? What are you going to net???